To be someone worth saving
by blu-babe
Summary: Duo's struggling to get through the war, and he often sneaks away at night. After a particularly harsh fight, Heero follows him to find out where the braided pilot keeps going. 1x2 Slight angst, get-together (no longer a two-shot because I had a cool idea and I need at least two more chapters to hash it out) Story found :) thanks for the help guys
1. Chapter 1

**This is an actual story, but please read note at top! Thanks :)**

Hello! I will dedicate a super amazing fluffy 2X1 oneshot to whoever helps me find the following story:

It's a heeroXduo (slight) AU (maybe) wherein the boys are all (except quatre I believe) preventers agents, but duo isn't part of the group until he is transferred to earth to be Heero's new partner. When moving into his new place, duo runs out into the hallway without his pants, gets locked out, and asks a neighbour (Heero's apartment, but quatre answers the door) for a bit of wire to pick his lock with. Heero, bless his well intentioned soul, attempts to arrest duo, who then threatens to arrest him for attacking a preventers agent.

Pleeeaase. I have been searching for a week, sifting through over a hundred and fifty pages of listed stories between two sites (the only ones I read from and therefore the likely hiding places) and I am about ready to give up. I used to have it saved to a favourites list on my old computer, but I lost everything when I had to re-format it...

Now, down to business... A two-shot get together piece. 1x2 slight angst

Chapter one: Mishap in town.

* * *

The trick to sharing a room with someone who analyzes every move everyone they meet makes – looking for potential threats – is to be a master actor. I wish our safe houses were large enough to give each of us our own rooms, though that would be a terrible safety risk according to mister perfect, but they tend to be a little on the small and decrepit side.

Don't get me wrong, having someone to watch my back is pretty damn nice, just like when I was a kid with Solo on L2; but I need my space. War is hell, and it's even worse when the side you're fighting for decides to turn their backs on you for the enemy. It's tough, and even 'unaffected street punks' like me get down on themselves. And I'm pretty damn certain if mister perfect soldier boy caught wind that I was feeling down, he'd whip up an email to J, G, and the whole bloody team. And then I'd be pulled from missions and have counselling sessions with doctor Quat – and his bloody space heart. Not noise that I need, thank you very much.

Obviously, I can't do anything here to ease the worst of the crappy feeling, so I have to play super-secret-agent-escape pretty much every night to go out and find a way to work off the stress. Don't get me wrong here, either, I don't go out doing any stupid shit – no drugs or alcohol to impair my judgement, and no hook ups to risk exposing our hide outs – I just like to go swimming, and maybe stare up at the stars and the moon (where I almost died more times than I care to count) and think about things.

And okay, so maybe I cried a couple times after particularly bad missions. Not that anyone saw so, if a boy cries and nobody sees it, did it actually happen? No. And I'll never in a million years admit to it under pain of torture, either.

Anyway, so tonight is one of those really bad nights, my mission today had led me into a small town, where I was just supposed to be meeting Howard, and I saw this kid run into the street after a ball, and next thing I know I'm diving into the middle of the road, getting creamed by an oz truck, and the kid shouts out my identity for the whole damn place to hear. Guess he recognized me from when I was captured and plastered all over the tv to get ready for public execution. Oh well.

Like I was saying, next thing I know I'm getting creamed by ozzies, and they cuff me and toss me in their truck the same time the mister perfect and Howard poke their heads out of the coffee shop I was supposed to be going into. Long story short, Heero stalks the truck till it stops at the base, and knocks them all out, frees me, and we then have to destroy the whole place. Guess who's now the highest on the most wanted list. Yours truly.

So Heero drags me back to the safe house and locks us in, making sure no one could have possibly seen us, then he turns on me and starts raving. I get it, he's pissed; I almost blew our cover to save a punk that obviously didn't deserve it. But he didn't have to call me a failure.

I had to wait hours for him to lie down and pretend to sleep – I'm certain he doesn't ever actually sleep – so I can sneak the fuck out of here and get some space. Maybe tonight I'll just drown and save him the trouble of saving my ass every other day like he claims he does. Or maybe I can try disappearing for a while, not that I'll really manage that too well without losing the braid, which is so not an option.

Yeah, so as soon as he shuts his eyes and seems to drift off, I sit up and carefully sneak out of my own horribly uncomfortable bed, and badda bing, badda boom, I'm out the window and my braid is tucked up under my hat. It's summer here right now, which is something I kind of like about Earth, since the colonies are pretty much always the same damn temperature, and L2 was pretty cold most of the time. So heat is a nice change of pace. Of course, you can probably guess then that I don't actually even know how to swim, even though that's what I sneak out to do.

It's sort of like giving karma the chance to get back at me for my horrible misdeeds, you know? I can float and sort of dog paddle, but It's a fifty-fifty shot I'll end up drowning every time I set foot in the water. If I don't drown, then I just sort of tell myself that it's karma telling me I'm not beyond help yet. There's still a hope for me to be a better person in the future. Tonight I need to find a lake or river and swim; see if there is still anything about me that the universe doesn't mind holding onto, since Heero seems to think that there isn't.

* * *

Next chapter will be put up tomorrow. This was originally a one-shot, but the ending needs work and I really wanted to just post the darn thing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: following Duo

* * *

I lie awake, with my eyes closed so he'll think I'm asleep. My mind is racing with the day's events, and my heart clenches in fear as the window opens and closes so silently I'm almost not sure I've heard it. I'm not even supposed to be here – J is going to punish the hell out of me when he finds out where I am – but I couldn't stay away.

I've roomed with Duo more than any of the others, and I know he thinks he has me fooled, but he's an idiot to believe it. I know he sneaks out, and although I don't know where he goes, I do know he does it to escape. We aren't as different as he seems to think.

My mind always wanders and envisions him looking for overnight company, or a quick escape – he's too cheerful during the days, it seems like he's probably found some drug or another to hide behind. Of course I know better than to actually assume such; he's a fantastic pilot and wouldn't do anything to risk our collective safety. Except leap into traffic to save a brat that would then turn him in to oz. The baka.

It was sheer dumb luck I was there to witness what went down, and I let my fear get the better of me. I didn't mean to scold him so harshly when I got him back to the safe house he had been using; I was just so frustrated that he would put himself in danger like that. Doesn't he know how much we need him? Without all five of us, the war is going to tip into Oz's favour, and then the colonies will never be free.

After a few deafening moments of silence, I can't stand it anymore and I hastily follow him out into the night, desperate to know where he goes. I can't even explain how much I hope I'm right about him not going into town for 'fun', because it kills me to even think such things. I want him all to myself, I want him to want me; surely I could provide him such release if he needed it so badly. At least I would never fork him over to OZ afterwards.

It doesn't take long until I've caught up, and he seems to be heading into the small forest outside of town. I would have let out a sigh of relief if I wasn't trying to sneak up behind a master of stealth. We walk for a while, and I can hear him muttering under his breath – he's not happy with me right now; maybe I could fix that.

When we come to a stop near a lake, I admit that I am a little surprised, although surprise is soon abandoned for sheer joy as he starts to strip down to his boxers. His body is all lean and pale in the moonlight, and it's perfect because the view is all mine, not like in the schools we've hidden in and I've seen him in the showers, with about twenty other sweaty boys. I wonder if I told him that he's the only one I want, if that would win his favour? Would that be enough to make him stop hating me? Even in a room full of guys, he's the only one.

I watch as he wades into the water, his movements sluggish and poorly calculated, he's obviously struggling to stay afloat – I hadn't known he couldn't swim. Not that I'm much of a swimmer myself, L1 didn't have many pools, and even then I spent all my life in a lab. I can swim well enough to escape under water short distances, and that is it.

My heart leaps into my throat as his head slips under and his limbs flail, he's going to drown unless I do something, but I really can't swim that well myself, if I save him, I might drown. The thrashing water starts to settle a little and I panic and leap out of my hiding place and into the water – to hell with the consequences. I'm not losing him!

The water is ice cold and there's water grass growing quite long, I can feel it twisting around my ankles as I dive under and look about wildly. I can't see him anywhere, and if he is still under the water, I'm almost out of time. Just as I start losing hope, I see the tip of his braid floating just above the grass, and I reach for it. I pull him up just past his shoulders and meet his frantic eyes; just as I feared he was almost out of air. So I did the only thing I could think of, I returned to the surface, gulped in a big breath and dove back down. His lips parted as I reached him, and a few bubbles escaped, then I covered his mouth with mine – praying for mercy later when he decides to kill me for being so forward – and forced my air into his lungs.

Satisfied that he's now got enough air to last, I ignore the fact that my lungs are burning awfully, and I reach down to free his legs from the grass they are tangled in. Several frantic seconds later he's shooting for the surface, and my body is telling me I'll never make it.

* * *

So this will definitely be more than a two-shot.

Also thanks to my reviewer on the compliment over my 'duo voice'. It's also good to know I'm not the only one who remembers that story.

I'll try and post again on Wednesday if I can't tomorrow. I happen to have a cruel midterm tomorrow to write. So we'll see.


	3. Chapter 3

Good news! Story has been found! It was "boy's bad day". Thanks to two readers. I'm working on a fluff piece for the one who PM'd me, and Emocloud I'll do one for you too. Since you did have the right one too, and the other reader only beat you to it by a couple hours. Besides, I'm in a writing mood!

Chapter Three: I'm sorry

(Duo POV)

* * *

When my head breaks above the water I start coughing violently, and I wait for Heero to surface and begin yelling at me. He doesn't follow and I begin to panic, wondering if when he gave me air, he forgot to keep enough for himself; I've always assumed he's been trained ruthlessly in all areas so that idea seems a little far-fetched. Mister perfect forgetting his own need for oxygen? Not likely. He must have gotten tangled too.

By the time I get back under the water and spot him, he's not moving and his mouth is open ever so slightly. I reach down and hoist him up to surface by his arm, dragging him to the shore where he remains immobile. I can only be extremely thankful to G right now for ensuring I at least learned how to do CPR before sending me dirt-side.

I pinch his nose shut and seal my lips over his, trying the whole while to remind myself that this was not voluntary on his part, so swiping my tongue over his lips would be a no-no. Pulling back, I press firmly on his chest to force the air back out so his lungs can kick start.

It takes several minutes before I'm ready to give up; his body won't respond, and I don't know what else to do. I was supposed to be the one to drown, not him. What did he ever do? Heero is too perfect to die. I can feel the sting of tears running down my face as I lean over him again, bringing my hand up to his neck to feel for a pulse, and lowering my lips to press lightly against his. "You aren't supposed to kill yourself to save me, I'm the expendable one you idiot." I murmur as I rest my forehead against his, still searching for a pulse.

Next thing I know, I'm being covered in vomit and water. I lean back and wipe it off my face as Heero rolls onto his side and retches up even more lake water, I'm not sure if I should be relieved or pissed that he waited until I was in the direct line of fire, to wake up.

I settle for mild annoyance as he slowly eases himself into a sitting position, fixing me with his cobalt eyes and a look of pure anger; as if he's the one who was vomited on and not the other way around. I can't account for what has his knickers in a twist – he stalked me out here and jumped in after me, not the other way around, I should be the one who is pissed – and he doesn't leave me in the dark for long.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He growls, his arms are shaking as he tries to push himself to his feet.

Oh, he's pissed because he had to save my ass again. Twice in one day. Despite the fact that I had already assumed as much, it still hurt to know that he didn't really care.

"How can you be so selfish?" Heero sways slightly as he finally manages to stand up, and his glare softens fractionally as he takes a hesitant step towards me. "Without all of us, the colonies won't stand a chance." He halts his movements and resumes his hard glare.

"Yeah, yeah." I mumble dropping my gaze to my bare feet and I suddenly realize I'm almost completely naked. I've been standing here, getting scolded by the guy I'm in love with, in my soaked boxers, and I'm pretty sure they're clinging enough that he could see everything. Lucky for me it's too cold for me to embarrass myself any further.

"I would rather have followed you into town to find drugs! Even that would be exponentially less stupid!" He starts shivering, and I assume that the chilly air is getting to him too, until I realize the water on his face is not from the lake.

There's something about tears, it makes them glow under the moonlight, and that makes me feel like a monster. Not to mention confused. I was fairly certain that Heero didn't have tear ducts – I mean, he's never even cried reflexively when he gets a face full of dirt. But here he is, crying. Is it because I almost drowned? Is it because he almost drowned? Why?

"Why are you…" My tongue freezes as he brings a hand up to rub away a line of salty tears from his cheek. "Why do you act like care all of the sudden? You hate me!" Whoa. Where the hell did that come from? That was not what I meant to say.

Heero is slowly turning red, and his lips are forming the most screwed up scowl he's ever pulled off. I think he's about to scream like a frustrated kid.

In the time it takes me to blink, he's darted towards me and I feel his fist meet my cheek with bruising force. I stumbled backwards and fall into the shallow edge of the lake, spluttering and staring at him in shock.

"BAKA!" His voice breaks part way through his shout, and he stomps his foot in frustration. He looks a lot like Relena at the moment – well, the way she did the last time she found us and I dragged Heero away from her by his elbow. Good times.

"I do! I do hate you!" He's nearly tugging out his hair, and my heart is shattering inside my chest as he confirms the worst of my fears. "I hate you because you won't get out of my head! I hate you because you never think before you act and I always have to fix you when you break." A small hiccup escapes him, but his tears have now stopped and he looks as hurt as I feel.

Silence surrounds us as his words sink in, and I can feel a tiny flicker of hope. He thinks about me, and he thinks I'm reckless. I can't argue the latter, but I could point out that he is twice as reckless as I am, and I have never asked him to patch me up when I get injured. I can tell that would be the wrong thing to say, however. "I'm sorry…"


End file.
